Kingston Maurward's Bob Pinnow tells the story of his heroic father, American GI Art Pinnow

Japanese aircraft launched a devastating attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii, just before 8am on December 7 1941 and three days later, the United States joined the Second World War.

It is timely then for Bob Pinnow, head caretaker at Kingston Maurward College, near Dorchester, to share the story of his father, a GI who was a veteran of Omaha Beach and met Bob's mother, of Bere Regis, while serving in the war.

Bob's dad Art Pinnow of Syracuse, New York State, received his 'draft' papers and enlisted into the 1st Infantry Division (the so called Big Red One) of the Army of the United States at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Art Pinnow was third generation German descent and his grandparents had lived in Alsace Lorraine (when the region was part of Germany, not France) and emigrated to America around the early part of the 1880s.

Bob's family’s ancestors originally came from a little town called Pinnow which is situated on the East German/Polish border.

He tells Looking Back: "It has always seemed ironic to me that given my dad’s ancestry, he was to take part in some of the most famous battles of the Second World War against the Germans.

"Before the Normandy landings my father was already a veteran of the Allied North African Campaign, Sicily and Salerno.

"During this time he was awarded two Arrow Heads and two silver stars for bravery in battle. After D-Day he fought in Ardennes/Alsace and the Rhineland. "

In early 1944 the American 1st Army embarked for England and a large contingency of 'dough bouys' as they were known, including Bob's father Art, was stationed at Yellowham Woods.

The GIs found themselves preparing for the Normandy invasion.

At this time, Kingston Maurward House was taken over by military personnel and the grounds became a petrol depot. Interestingly, around 10 years ago a loaded American Second World war issue hand gun was discovered wrapped in a cloth and hidden behind a toilet cistern in the basement of Kingston Maurward House!

While Art Pinnow was billeted in Dorset he met and became engaged to Bob's late mother, Betty Battrick of Bere Regis.

Bob picks up the story again: "On D-Day, June 6, 1944 at just after 6.30am, my father’s unit was one of the first waves of soldiers to go ashore on Omaha Beach.

"As riggers their main job was to clear mines and obstacles. Only a very few of them actually made it to the shoreline - the majority were killed as they desperately tried to wade ashore.

"Within minutes the entire surviving first wave were pinned down on the beach by the intense enemy fire. During the ensuing battle my father was badly wounded on the head by shrapnel, but despite his serious injury, he managed to drag a wounded 'buddy' up the beach to the relative safety of under the sea wall.

"He then went all the way back to the shoreline and rescued another wounded soldier. For his immense courage under enemy fire he was awarded a Unit Citation and he also received the Purple Heart."

The 1st Division were under the overall command of Lt. General Omar Bradley who was on board the USS Augusta.

After enduring hours of ferocious enemy fire, Colonel George A. Taylor rallied the small knots of surviving soldiers within earshot and yelled “Two kinds of people are staying on this beach, the dead and those who are going to die – now let’s get the hell out of here.”

He led his soldiers through dead and mortally wounded colleagues towards gaps in the German defences.

Bob resumes: "My father was carried off the beach by surviving members of his unit and by nightfall the Beach Head had been won.

"Dad’s unit went on to attack and secure Colleville, whilst my father was evacuated to a military field hospital for treatment.

"(My family in America still have the pieces of shrapnel removed from dad’s head!)."

*We're going to pick up Art Pinnow's story again next week when Bob will pick up the story of his dad's life as he went on to recover from his head wounds and battle on through France.

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